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• Chronic Degenerative Valve Disease in Dogs: In Depth

  This handout summarizes the normal function of the dog heart, and outlines the abnormalities and changes associated with degeneration of the four different valves found in the heart. An explanation is provided of clinical signs associated with valve disease, as well as the recommended tests and treatments for this condition. Staging of heart disease is also discussed.

• Chronic Egg-Laying in Birds

  Chronic egg-laying occurs when a female bird lays one egg after another or lays repeated clutches of eggs. Chronic egg-laying may lead to malnutrition and egg binding. There are both behavioral and medical interventions to stop chronic egg-laying.

• Chronic Kidney Disease in Dogs

  The kidneys have many functions. They are primarily responsible for removing waste from the body and unfortunately in some dogs they will begin to fail at this task. Various tests will be done to determine the stage of kidney disease. Treatment will be recommended to help preserve the remaining kidney function and improve quality of life. Most dogs will respond well to treatment and can live a good life.

• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in Dogs

  Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a slowly progressing cancer of a type of white blood cell called a lymphocyte. It can develop at any age but is more typically detected in middle-aged to senior dogs. It also seems to be more prevalent in German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers. This disease is often asymptomatic and detected on routine lab screening. Further diagnostic procedures, as well as treatments and prognoses, are described in this handout.

• Clostridial Overgrowth and Enterotoxicosis in Dogs

  Clostridial enterotoxicosis is a complex and poorly understood syndrome characterized by diarrhea that is associated with the bacteria Clostridium perfringens (CP). It is associated with either acute or chronic diarrhea. Clostridial enterotoxicosis is not caused by the bacteria directly, but rather by a toxin produced by the bacteria. Most cases of intestinal bacterial overgrowth are treated on an outpatient basis using antibiotics, nutrition, and probiotics.

• Coat and Skin Appearance in the Healthy Dog

  The general condition of your dog's skin and coat are good indicators of his health. A healthy coat should be shiny and smooth, not brittle or coarse, and healthy skin should be supple and clear, not greasy, flaky, or bumpy. Selective breeding has led to the development of dogs with various coat characteristics requiring varying grooming needs. Nutrition also plays an important role in skin and coat maintenance.

• Coccidioidomycosis in Dogs

  Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal disease caused by the soil fungus Coccidioides immitis or Coccidioides posadii. The early signs of coccidioidomycosis include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, and joint pain. Diagnosis is by biopsy of lesions or blood testing for antibodies to the Coccidioides organism. The prognosis for recovery is dependent of the extent of lesions in the dog’s body.

• Cojeras - Perros

  Lameness in Dogs

  Si un perro no puede moverse de forma normal se dice que está cojo. Las causas de cojera más habituales son el dolor en una articulación o en sus estructuras de soporte o bien la inestabilidad de una articulación.

• Colitis in Dogs

  Colitis simply refers to inflammation of the large intestine or colon. Signs include frequent, small volumes of semi-formed to liquid feces, straining, and small amounts of bright red blood. The causes of colitis include stress, infections, and parasites, trauma, allergic colitis, and primary inflammatory bowel disease. The diagnosis of colitis is based on your pet's clinical signs and history, microscopic evaluation of the feces, rectal examination, cytology, and blood tests. The specific cause of colitis will dictate the appropriate treatment. For most dogs diagnosed with colitis, the prognosis is excellent for a speedy recovery.

• Collie Eye Anomaly

  Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA) is a genetic mutation affecting many breeds that causes developmental defects in the eye that can lead to vision deficits or blindness. This defect can be diagnosed by a veterinary ophthalmologist between 6 and 8 weeks of age by visualizing spots of choroidal hypoplasia or a colobomas . It can be associated with microphthalmia or enophthalmia. It can lead to retinal detachment and blindness. Although laser repair of partial retinal detachments can be attempted if detected in early stages, there is generally no treatment for CEA. Vision varies depending on the extent of the lesions and some dogs will become blind. Prevention requires not breeding animals that carry the mutation and this can be achieved through genetic testing of breeding dogs.